But Villa/Liverpool (delete the one you want, the result doesn’t change) let the side down.

Brendan Rodgers’ side are short again on Saturday, 4/11 to win at Bournemouth, as the FA Cup returns for round four.

They’ve got more than enough about them to pop the Cherries with ease but Eddie Howe’s side won’t roll over and the 13/8 on a Liverpool win with both teams scoring appeals in Saturday’s early kick-off.

Villa don’t have a game this weekend as Lambert turned his nose up at the FA Cup last time out, losing to Sheffield United after admitting the famous old tournament was a bit of a nuisance.

Manchester United, Tottenham, Newcastle, Norwich, West Brom and West Ham are also idle after crashing out at the start of the month leaving 13 top-flight teams in contention.

On fire: Sergio Aguero has scored in six straight games for Manchester City and has 22 goals for the season

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Arsenal host Coventry on Friday night and by Saturday morning people will have stopped asking City legend Keith Houchen about his 1987 diving header - until next season anyway.

The Sky Blues could be left red-faced and over 4.5 goals in the game is 2/1 while the same bet in the tie between Manchester City and Watford is 7/4. The last three games at the Etihad have produced 17 goals and the competition for places among their strikers is good news for punters as well as Mr Manuel Pellegrini.

Chelsea to win to nil was a popular bet three games on the bounce before Javier Hernandez hit Manchester United’s consolation last Sunday. Stoke pose enough of a threat to sneak one at Stamford Bridge so a Blues win with both teams scoring (21/10) is the one.

Bring it on: Lukas Podolski could be given a run out when Arsene Wenger picks his team to face Coventry

Best bets of the weekend

HOMES: Southampton, Blackpool, Leicester, Swindon, Wolves

AWAYS: Liverpool, Everton, Fulham, Reading, Celtic

DRAWS: Motherwell v Aberdeen, Birmingham v Swansea, Falkirk v Dundee

Swansea at Manchester United and Sheffield United against Aston Villa were flagged up in these pages three weeks ago along with a Southend-Nottingham Forest double as the pair beat teams from divisions above (Millwall and West Ham respectively).

Roots Hall could be the place where tables are turned once again as the Shrimpers host manager Phil Brown’s former club Hull City.

Whether the tanned one has a point to prove or not shouldn’t matter. What should is Southend’s form – they’ve lost just once since the end of October – and Hull’s woeful away record. Their win over Middlesbrough in the last round was their first on the road since September while midfielder Tom Huddlestone is suspended for this one. It’s 7/2 Southend have a numbered ball in the fifth-round draw by Saturday night.

Point to prove? Phil Brown famously conducted his half-time team-talk on the pitch when Hull played Manchester City in 2008 - don't expect a repeat when his Southend side host the Tigers this weekend

City head the betting

Manchester City are favourites to lift the trophy at 7/2 ahead of Chelsea and Arsenal (9/2), Liverpool 11/2 and Everton 9/1. City are 1/6 to win for Capital One Cup after Sunderland were confirmed as their final opponents with the Black Cats 4/1. England’s highest scorers also head the betting for the Premier League – at 11/10 - and are 6s to lift all three. Chuck in the Champions League trophy and the quadruple is 33/1.

Ooh la la

Coral’s Ligue 1 treble has been whatever French for ‘up’ is twice in the last three weeks and they offer 11/2 for Lyon to beat Evian, Bordeaux to see off St Etienne and Monaco to take maximum points from their meeting with Marseille. Defintely worth a few euros.